


Spain

by Jayne L (JayneL)



Category: Life
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-04-10
Updated: 2009-04-10
Packaged: 2017-10-06 08:22:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/51631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JayneL/pseuds/Jayne%20L
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A 'One' coda.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Spain

They ride back into the city together, sitting silently while Bodner drives. The last Charlie sees of Reese is when Tidwell all but pulls her out of the car and shepherds her through the crowd of special agents and lawyers waiting anxiously on the steps of the station.

Charlie gives his statement to other special agents and lawyers, in a whole other part of the building. He's pretty sure they don't want to let him leave when he's done, but leave he does.

Seever falls into step with him in the hall on his way to the impound lot to pick up his car. "Captain Tidwell took Detective Reese to LA Mercy to be checked out," she says, without looking at him.

"Thanks," he replies, and at the next corner she veers off at a right angle to him and walks away, her head held high.

Charlie sits in his car for a long time before keying the ignition and driving straight home.

* * *

It's dark outside when the doorbell rings. Charlie has an orange in his hand--just picked it out of the basket Ted left, hadn't even dug his thumbnail into the rind to begin peeling it yet--as he goes to answer it.

Reese is half-turned away when he opens the door, as if he'd left her waiting too long and she was about to make a run for her car. He hadn't left her waiting, though: he's stayed downstairs, close to the door all evening, just in case.

She crosses her arms as she steps inside, watching him like she expects him to turn into someone else at any moment. He holds his orange with both hands, not sure who she expects him to be.

"Ted's gone to Spain," he says finally, because he thinks she's struggling with what she really wants to say. He knows he is.

"Yeah?" she replies, sounding a little too interested, considering. "What's in Spain?"

Explaining about Amanda--and Olivia, and Ted, and Ted-and-Olivia--seems like too much work, so he just shrugs. "Hope, I think." And she gets that look of hers, the one that's part exasperation, part understanding, part determination not to let on just how much she understands, and Charlie's struck all over again by how much he's missed her. How much he's worried about her. "How are you, Reese?"

"Doctors say I'm fine," she answers quickly, as if she hadn't heard what he'd really asked. He hears her, though--hears the echoes of _Are you touching me?_\--but before he can figure out how to stop touching her, metaphorically, or if he even should, or if he even wants to, her eyes widen, and she stops looking at him like she might not know who he is. And then she goes completely still, her whole body, and then she--he can't think of any other word for it--softens. And says, the same way he just did, "How are you, Crews?"

There's a bruise darkening his jaw. His mouth is tender where Roman's fist landed, his lips a little swollen. His left hand is sore. But she already knows about all that.

He smiles. "I am in this moment," he tells her, and in the moment, it's the truth. "This one moment, unconcerned with what came before, and unanticipating what comes next."

The corners of her mouth twitch, just a little. Her arms drop to her sides. "What comes next?"

The orange is in his hands, a perfect, sunny sphere. "I don't know," he says, and looks at her, standing in his foyer. With him. "But I'm thinking about Spain."

 

End.


End file.
